“Last night we burned down a yuppie development on 1st ave near Victoria. We are tired of seeing our lives and memories being torn down one development at a time. We wish and will create fear for developers in East Vancouver. The class war is heating up. We have no intention on stopping. If we, if you, allow this continue you will be pushed out of East Vancouver due to rising rent and gentrification. If you are the cause of gentrification you should never feel safe

“For a world where no one is homeless, hassled by police, the state or capitalists. – (A)GF”

VANCOUVER – A group calling themselves anarchists have claimed responsibility for burning down a duplex in East Vancouver.

On an anarchist online message board, an anonymous member speaking for the group Anti-Gentrification Front posted: “We have no intention on stopping. If we, if you, allow this continue (sic) you will be pushed out of East Vancouver due to rising rent and gentrification. If you are the cause of gentrification you should never feel safe,” calling the building a ““yuppie development.”

Around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, Vancouver Fire arrived at the 1900-block of 1st Avenue to find a home under construction completely engulfed in flames.

The top floor of the building was destroyed and caused damage to both adjacent houses. No one was living in the duplex and no one was injured, but it took several hours to get the fire under control, said spokesman Capt. Gabe Roder. The occupants of neighbouring houses were evacuated.

Vancouver Police confirmed the cause of fire to be arson. A portable toilet on the construction site was also spray-painted with the warning “We’ll be back.”

The same group has also claimed responsibility for smashing the windows of a Commercial Drive pizzeria at least three times and stealing the sign from in front of Save On Meats on Hastings Street.

Anti-poverty activists in the Downtown Eastside have repeatedly distanced themselves from the Anti-Gentrification Front.

“Unfortunately it is early in the investigation and while the e-mail makes mention of anarchists and the anti-gentrification issue, we are unable to confirm the actual motive for the fire or link it at this point to any specific group, person, cause or any other incident,” said Const. Brian Montague.